This lecture describes immunomodulation for fecundity enhancement in animals. Useful for veterinary students, practitioners, and researchers

1. Immunomodulation for Fecundity
enhancement/Immunocontrol
Prof G N PUROHIT

2. Prolific sheep/Goats
• Garole - Avishan
• Black Bengal goats

3. Breed Country Age at first oestrus
(months)
Age at first lambing
(months)
Lambing interval
(months)
Litter size
First lambing Later lambings
Barbados
Blackbelly
Barbados 14–22 6–9 2–2.3
Barbados
Blackbelly
Elsewhere 5–8 6.5–9 1.5–2.0
White Virgin Island 13–14 6–8 1–2
Priangan Indonesia 6–12 6–9 1.4–2.1
East Javanese Fat-
tailed
Indonesia 6–12 6–9 1.6
D'man Morocco 12–18 6–7 1.6–2.0 1.8–2.7
Hu-yang China 13–16 6–8 2
Svanka U.S.S.R. 6+ 2–4
Chios Greece 13+ 6–12 2.3
Finnish Landrace
Finland 7–8 7–12 1.9 2.7
Finnish Landrace
Elsewhere 5–10 7–10 1.5–2.2 2–3.2
Romanov U.S.S.R. 7–18 2.1–2.7
Romanov( France 6–8 2.6–3.3
Reproductive performance of prolific breeds - ranges between different flocks,
populations and years

4. SHEEP/Goat
• Flushing
• Immunoneutralization of androstendione
• Inhibin Immunogens

5. • Feeding the ewe so she is gaining weight about 2 weeks before
breeding is called flushing. Flushing may increase lambing
percentage by increasing the number of eggs that the ewe
ovulates. Flushing works best on thin ewes (BCS < 2.0). ...
Mature ewes respond better to flushing than yearlings.
• No benefit is seen in animals with excessive Body Condition
Scores (BCSs) or during the height of the normal breeding
season. Overly thin animals also do not respond to flushing. Does
and ewes that are maintained in very good condition on relatively
high levels of nutrition throughout the year are less likely to
respond to flushing.
•
•

6. • Androvax - MSD
• Ovastim- Virbac
• Fecundin- Coopers Animal Health Now withdrawn

7. Not recommended for Merino ewes
Vaccination 5 and 2 weeks before mating
Repeated anually 2 weeks before mating
Reduces estrogen and Increases FSH thus increasing
ovulatory rates and fecundity

8. Inhibin Neutralization
• Inhibin conjugates
• Inhibin anti-serum

9. Reproduction control vaccines
• Immuno-contraception
– Prevent all sexual behavior and fertility
– Antibodies against GnRH- so called GnRH vaccines useful for
domestic animals
• Immuno-neutering
– Do not prevent sexual behavior yet prevent fertilization
– They are oocyte antigens react with zona pellucida of many species
and prevent fertilization useful for wild species

10. GnRH Vaccines
• Cattle
• Vaxstrate – Northern Australia 2 doses are required launched
in 1980 withdrawn in 1996 because of being reactogenic
• Bopriva –Pfizer Prevents estrus for 191 days
• 2 vaccines 3-7 weeks apart prevents estrus and ovulation for
3 months Useful for Alpine/Feedlot cattle and Bulls

12. Female horses
• Equity – commercialized in 2001 in Australia
• IUDs
• Marble balls A study was reported in which marbles were inserted
into the uterus of mares for suppression of estrus. In the study, 35-
mm ('shooter size') glass marbles were sterilized in an autoclave
and subsequently a single marble was placed into the uterus of
each of 12 mares.

13. Gonacon
• Used for Deer, bison, wild
• Horses and camels
• Approved for use in some countries

14. Boars
• Improvac
• To prevent the boar taint
• 2 doses 4 and 8 weeks before
• Slaughter reduces skatole and
• androstenedione

15. Porcine zona pellucida vaccine
• Spay Vac
• Immunocontraception
• Vaccine
• Surface antigens block the entry of sperms in a oocyte

17. Dogs
• 30 million stray dogs worldwide
• 20,000 people die of rabies annually
• 35% of worlds human deaths because of rabies are in India
• Kill more than terror attacks

18. Canine Gonadotropic releasing factor
immunotherapeutic
• Immunocastration in male dogs
• Therapy of BPH
• Repeat every 4 weeks
• Neutresol –zinc gluconate solution injected intra-testicular
causes atrophy of testes and permanent infertility
• Adverse reactions –testicular swelling, ulceration

19. Bitches
• Oral synthetic progestins-regular dosing required
• GnRH agonist implants –Suprelorin
• Need replacement every 6 months

20. GnRH agonist Nafarelin

21. • Gonazon is injected subcutaneously, in the region of the
umbilicus. The implant may be administered to bitches from
the age of four months (blocking reproductive function for an
average of 12 months) to 6 years (blocking reproductive
function for an average of 11 months).

22. GnRH antagonists
• A GnRH antagonist binds to and blocks GnRH receptors on the
pituitary gland, and the suppression effect is instant. Common
preparations of GnRH antagonists include cetrorelix
(Cetrotide®) and ganirelix (Orgalutran®), which are both
administered as subcutaneous injections.

24. • The above lectures are also explained in video lectures at my
YouTube Channel Govind Narayan Purohit
• Kindly share the videos and subscribe to my channel if you like
them
• Thanks